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Brumbies win reignites confidence: Mowen

David Barbeler

Brumbies skipper Ben Mowen says his side's seven-try romp over the Western Force will act as the perfect confidence springboard into next week's Super Rugby finals.

Who and where the Brumbies play next weekend is still to be determined, yet the most likely scenario is a grand-final re-match against the Chiefs at Canberra Stadium next Saturday.

However the Highlanders can still deny them fourth spot and a home qualifying final with an unlikely bonus-point win over the Crusaders on Saturday evening.

That would see the Brumbies travel to Dunedin to take on the Highlanders next Saturday.

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Regardless of who they play, the Brumbies are glad to finally be hitting some form.

With many of their Wallabies stars missing in recent weeks, they had won just one game in their last four before rediscovering their mojo in Saturday's do-or-die 47-25 win over the Force.

The comprehensive victory, spearheaded by fit-again Wallabies playmaker Matt Toomua, washed away doubts the Brumbies were no longer a team to be reckoned with as the Force entered the game with the chance to secure their first ever finals berth.

"When you score seven tries in a decisive game it gives you a massive belief in what you're doing," Mowen said.

"Getting into a knockout situation and putting in a performance like that will give the group massive confidence going forward."

Toomua, who starred with three tries and a hand in two others, hasn't forgotten about the pain the Chiefs inflicted on his side with a come-from-behind victory in last year's grand final.

And it's clear the chance of exacting revenge against the two-time premiers isn't lost on him.

"If we do play the Chiefs, we'll want to get one up on them, especially after last year," Toomua said.

However the reliable Wallabies back stopped short of promising another three try haul to help make that happen.

"I don't think that's happened since a training session years ago," he laughed.

Toomua said the side was extremely keen for a home qualifying final, and director of rugby Laurie Fisher echoed his comments in the post-match press conference.

The Brumbies haven't lost a home game since they entered the season under-cooked in round one against the Queensland Reds

"Playing at home in any competition is an advantage," Fisher said.

"It won't win you the game, but it's great to sleep in your own bed, to not have to travel, to train on your own pitch. All those little things help."